|
As far as names go, I like ebook reader - just like I consider the kids' iPods to be mp3 players. They're descriptive names that work. As for transbook, I find it only slightly better than liseuse - which is to say not very much at all. Despite the possible issue of confusion with the format, e-Reader or ereader is actually a pretty good word. It's easy to say and fairly simple to understand.
I'm not quite so sure that multi-function devices will overtake dedicated readers the way some think they will, though. It's a nice idea, and sometimes it happens - the smartphone basically ate the PDA - but the computer hasn't done the same to the TV.
The problem is that device convergence only really works when the functional requirements are compatible. Adding phone capability didn't take away from any of the basic uses of a PDA. Unfortunately, when it comes to most convergence devices, the biggest draw for an ebook reader - the large screen - is a detriment. Handheld multi-media devices need to be small and portable because they're taken with you and used when you don't have access to your normal home entertainment gear. Ebook readers are about the same size as books - and many consider the screens already too small.
This isn't to say there won't be large color tablet devices - that's a natural progression - but that the devices which really take over the ebook reader market will be designed for similar use cases - and those aren't necessarily the same use cases that have driven things like smartphone/PDA convergence.
|